First, with the Isles down 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh, Kyle MacDougall knocked a bases-loaded, two-RBI single into centre field to tie the game 3-3.
Then Jesse MacIntyre earned his first game-winning run in the New Brunswick Senior Baseball League after he shot a fastball from Moncton pitcher Ryan Bartley between first and second base that scored Taylor Larkin from third and completed the comebacker.
“I just tried to go up there with a plan. Got the barrel of the bat around and knocked the thing through the right side in the hole,” said MacIntyre of his lone hit in the game. “That’s the kind of team we have this year, we know we have to battle.”
Bartley (0-1) was the hard-luck loser despite getting good defence behind him and striking out four. Jordan Stevenson (6-3) earned the win four two innings of work in relief of starter Jake Beck, who left after five innings with a 3-1 deficit.
Charlottetown goes to 10-18 in the standings, while Moncton drops under .500 to 13-14.
Moncton took a 1-0 lead in the third on Markus Coates’ RBI single, then added a second run in the fourth thanks to an RBI single from Lance Van Noy.
Charlottetown got one back in the fifth on Grant Grady’s RBI triple. Grady added a single and double and was a home run away from hitting for the cycle. He had a chance in sixth, but Bartley coaxed him into a bases-loaded ground ball to second base which forced MacIntyre out at second to end the threat.
Moncton added what looked to be the insurance run in the top of the seventh on Coates’ RBI double, but it was not to be as in the bottom of the frame Charlottetown loaded the bases for the second time in three innings and set up MacDougall and MacIntyre’s heroics.
For Bartley, although his stuff was good into the seventh, it came down to too many runners too late in the game.
“I think the turning point was when I walked Brody (McDonald in the fifth). They got the triple and scored the run,” said Bartley. “I had too many runners in the game and it ended up costing us in the end.”
Charlottetown outhit Moncton 11-7 and left 13 runners on base. Moncton stranded seven runners.
MacDougall had a double and a single earlier in the game for a 3-for-4 night as did Grady.
Van Noy had a double and scored in the second inning.
Charlottetown travels to Saint John, N.B., on Saturday for a doubleheader versus the Alpines. Game 1 start time is 2 p.m.
